MLB odds Favor Derek Lowe, Braves Versus Phillies
Jamie 'Gramps' Moyer takes the Turner Field mound Thursday looking to help the Phillies to a two-game cushion over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Game 1 of the series saw the Braves win in dramatic, extra-inning fashion. Game 2 was all about the Phillies' Roy Halladay who tossed the first complete game shutout in the National League this season.
Which brings us to the rubber game tonight at Turner Field with the two squads divided by just a game at the top of the NL East. Jamie Moyer (1-1, 7.50) tosses for Philadelphia and will be opposed by Atlanta's Derek Lowe (3-0, 4.67).
The odds that were released Wednesday afternoon listed the Braves as 140-145 favorites with the scoreboard number set at 9 ½. The Braves could be had a little cheaper in some places by Thursday morning.
So far the favorites have won each of the first two games with the 'under' paying off in both games as well.
Moyer will be looking for his first good start of the year. Both of the southpaw's outings this season have resulted in six innings of work and five earned runs coming plateward. He faced the Braves twice last year, with Philadelphia going 1-1 and Moyer putting in a total of 9 1/3 innings while five runs scored.
Just hearing Moyer's name should set several Atlanta hitters to slobbering like Pavlov's dog in a bell factory. Troy Glaus is 19-for-54 lifetime (.352) with five dingers against the Phillies lefty. Brian McCann (.364, HR), Chipper Jones (.389, HR) and Martin Prado (.438, HR) also have enjoyed taking BP against Moyer.
Meanwhile, Lowe has enjoyed pretty solid success recently when facing the loaded Philly lineup. He made three starts against the Phillies in 2009, with Atlanta cashing in all three. In his 19 2/3 innings opposite the Phils, Lowe allowed three earned runs (1.37 ERA). The Braves outscored Philadelphia, 18-6, in the three wins.
Ryan Howard has taken Lowe deep twice, but those are Howard's only hits off him in 25 career at bats. If you combine Howard, Raul Ibañez, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth, you get a .132 batting average (10-for-76) and just the two long balls by Howard. Chase Utley, however, has beaten Low like a rented mule (9-for-23, 2 HR).
Ted Barrett will be calling the balls and strikes for this battle. Now in his 12th big league season, this is Barrett's fourth plate assignment of the season. All three of his previous games had the home team favored, with the visiting underdogs winning two of them. Totals have split across the board, 1-1-1.
It should be a near-perfect night for baseball in Atlanta according to the weatherman. Daytime highs will reach into the upper-70s before cooling into the upper-50s overnight. Neither wind nor rain should be a factor.
The Phillies continue their road trip this weekend with three in Arizona before moving on to San Francisco. The Braves begin a seven-game road trip after Thursday's game beginning with three this weekend in New York and four next week in St. Louis.
NOTE: The W-L records shown for starting pitchers are their team's W-L mark when they started games in the 2009 season. Statistical sources for this article were Retrosheet.org, Baseball-Reference.com, ESPN.com and, of course, S-BEE-R-dot-com!
Jamie 'Gramps' Moyer takes the Turner Field mound Thursday looking to help the Phillies to a two-game cushion over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Game 1 of the series saw the Braves win in dramatic, extra-inning fashion. Game 2 was all about the Phillies' Roy Halladay who tossed the first complete game shutout in the National League this season.
Which brings us to the rubber game tonight at Turner Field with the two squads divided by just a game at the top of the NL East. Jamie Moyer (1-1, 7.50) tosses for Philadelphia and will be opposed by Atlanta's Derek Lowe (3-0, 4.67).
The odds that were released Wednesday afternoon listed the Braves as 140-145 favorites with the scoreboard number set at 9 ½. The Braves could be had a little cheaper in some places by Thursday morning.
So far the favorites have won each of the first two games with the 'under' paying off in both games as well.
Moyer will be looking for his first good start of the year. Both of the southpaw's outings this season have resulted in six innings of work and five earned runs coming plateward. He faced the Braves twice last year, with Philadelphia going 1-1 and Moyer putting in a total of 9 1/3 innings while five runs scored.
Just hearing Moyer's name should set several Atlanta hitters to slobbering like Pavlov's dog in a bell factory. Troy Glaus is 19-for-54 lifetime (.352) with five dingers against the Phillies lefty. Brian McCann (.364, HR), Chipper Jones (.389, HR) and Martin Prado (.438, HR) also have enjoyed taking BP against Moyer.
Meanwhile, Lowe has enjoyed pretty solid success recently when facing the loaded Philly lineup. He made three starts against the Phillies in 2009, with Atlanta cashing in all three. In his 19 2/3 innings opposite the Phils, Lowe allowed three earned runs (1.37 ERA). The Braves outscored Philadelphia, 18-6, in the three wins.
Ryan Howard has taken Lowe deep twice, but those are Howard's only hits off him in 25 career at bats. If you combine Howard, Raul Ibañez, Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth, you get a .132 batting average (10-for-76) and just the two long balls by Howard. Chase Utley, however, has beaten Low like a rented mule (9-for-23, 2 HR).
Ted Barrett will be calling the balls and strikes for this battle. Now in his 12th big league season, this is Barrett's fourth plate assignment of the season. All three of his previous games had the home team favored, with the visiting underdogs winning two of them. Totals have split across the board, 1-1-1.
It should be a near-perfect night for baseball in Atlanta according to the weatherman. Daytime highs will reach into the upper-70s before cooling into the upper-50s overnight. Neither wind nor rain should be a factor.
The Phillies continue their road trip this weekend with three in Arizona before moving on to San Francisco. The Braves begin a seven-game road trip after Thursday's game beginning with three this weekend in New York and four next week in St. Louis.
NOTE: The W-L records shown for starting pitchers are their team's W-L mark when they started games in the 2009 season. Statistical sources for this article were Retrosheet.org, Baseball-Reference.com, ESPN.com and, of course, S-BEE-R-dot-com!
